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Easy, intuitive and effective are a few prominent qualities making mobile learning the need of the hour. The rising popularity of mobile learning is evident from the increasing number of organizations which are already benefitting from using this revolutionary technology. Companies which want to make their training programs more effective are making use of mobile learning solutions on various levels. However, there are certain aspects where mobile learning emerges as a challenging sphere, especially for content designers and instructional designers. These challenges affect the very purpose of mobile learning, which is to make information available to individuals in a rapid and effective manner. Some of these challenges are present in the form of: • Screen The aspect ratio of mobile display and desktop display varies. Due to this difference in aspect ratio, the quality of videos can get affected, leading to wasted space on the screen or loss of data in the form of an image. Space and legibility are other issues which are a matter of concern when designing mobile learning programs. • Interface Contrary to desktops, mobile devices make use of touch rather than operating using a mouse. Thus, mouse over effects, which are commonly used in websites designed for desktops, cannot be used for mobile devices. It can lead to information misunderstanding and frustration among users. This is the reason that the layout and content needs to be altered to make it more suitable for various end user devices. • Formats Most of the mobile devices commonly used to support a limited variety of video formats. It means that the videos designed in Java or Flash cannot be played on these devices. This limits the options for organizations which prefer to share information through interactive videos. The above mentioned are some of the common challenges that designers have to face when designing mobile learning programs. It is commonly said that recognizing the challenges is the first step towards resolving them. Fortunately, these challenges can be solved using a variety of solutions, some of which are listed below. • Optimized content layout Optimized content layout is the one which makes efficient use of available screen space. Emphasizing on this feature becomes even more crucial, considering the wide range of mobile devices available with varied screen sizes. Designers can make use of HTML content along with responsive features, which means the content layout adapts to the available screen space. • Clear typography Quality of content gets affected by typography as well, thus making it a feature which cannot be overlooked. It is crucial that the font, its size, line spacing, character spacing and the overall text layout is selected diligently. • Simple navigation Navigation can become challenging on small devices, thus requiring designers to use buttons which are large enough for easy tapping. Complex and lengthy drop down menus should be avoided as these are difficult to use on mobile devices. • Appropriate interaction Using detailed images, with a lot of hotspots, might work on desktops, but these should be avoided when designing content for mobile learning. Instead of these, users would be more comfortable using interactive features which allow them to see more information by tapping an image. • Common gestures Mobile device users use common gestures, like swipes to access different features and pinching to zoom in. Such gestures should be integrated when designing mobile learning programs to ensure that scrolling is trouble free and smooth. Besides the solutions mentioned above, various software and tools are present these days, which are designed specifically to counter the challenges of mobile learning. Mobile learning is no longer an option which organizations today can choose to ignore. It is an essential strategy which needs to be integrated into the learning system to make the workforce training effectiveness and retention of information possible for organizations. EI Design is a learning design solutions company with more than 12 years of industry experience in partnering with global organizations in providing e-learning, mobile learning and blended learning solutions. To know more about mobile learning solutions, visit Educause.edu.
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